The Netravathi, the lifeline of Dakshina Kannada, is completely drying up resulting in zero inflow to the Thumbe vented dam built to supply drinking water to the city. Water storage at the dam depleted to 4m on Saturday against the maximum storage level of 6m. Sahyadri Sanchaya, a registered body of green activists, has been fighting to save the river for some years now, particularly opposing the Yettinahole project. Convener Dinesh Holla, who has been leading the protests against the project, speaks to The Hindu on the river and related issues.
What, according to you, is the solution to the drinking water crisis in Mangaluru?
The solution is simple. Stop abusing the Netravathi and its nine tributaries by damaging their sources in the Western Ghats. Leave the sources as they are. The river will have plenty of water till summer. There is no need to spend crores of rupees for arranging drinking water in summer through tankers and by sinking borewells.
What do you mean by damaging?
Mainly building resorts, constructing roads, building hydel-power projects, and other water supply projects in shola forest range and close to the origin of the river and its tributaries.
Which are the tributaries of the Netravathi ?
The Elaneeru Hole, the Bandaje Hole, the Mrutyunjaya Hole, the Aniyoor Hole, the Sunala Hole, the Neriya Hole, the Kempu Hole, the Kapila Hole, and Kumaradhala river.
How many of them have hydel-power projects?
The Kempu Hole, the Mrtyunjaya Hole, the Aniyoor Hole, and the Kumaradhara have them.
Building roads in the forests to reach them, civil works on the sites caused extensive damage in the Western Ghats belt. One can see plastic pipelines covered with concrete, laid in the Shiradi Ghat belt to divert water from small streams to a hydel power project in Kempu Hole. Imagine the damage to forests.
Why should shola forests not be disturbed?
Because they hold water like a sponge and release it slowly till summer. When it rains again the action repeats till next summer. It is a cycle.
Can you specify some areas where resorts have damaged the water source of any of the tributaries of the Netravathi?
Take for example Durgadahalli and Madhugundi areas in Chikkamagaluru district where many resorts have damaged the water source of the Mrutyunjaya Hole. A hydel-power project built across this Hole about five years ago has failed now without water.
You recently said that green activists will again resume boycotting MLAs, MP of Dakshina Kannada over Yettinahole project. What happened to it?
We are at it. We are now in the process of writing a letter to all of them to prevail upon the government to stop Yettinahole project as it will not yield any water for diverting to parched districts. We have been saying it. Now see the irony. The government which declared Bantwal and Mangaluru taluks as drought hit in 2017 has again declared entire Dakshina Kannada as ‘partially drought-hit’ this January. Can water be diverted from a drought-hit district (particularly from the Netravathi) to other parched districts? The basis for declaration is deficient rainfall. If it is deficient then how will you store and divert rainwater under the Yettinahole project?. The government will have to answer it now. Crores of money has been wasted and is being wasted for the project.
